Ocean Lakes

Guests on their personal golf cars now have a safer, more convenient way to travel in and out of the campground. Access trails – one headed south, another headed north – are being added near the Main Entrance to Ocean Lakes for guests driving personal golf cars, riding bikes or jogging in or out of the campground. A new access trail headed south toward Surfside Beach will give Ocean Lakes guests traveling on their personal golf cars a safer, more convenient route entering and leaving the campground. This trail, just off the Main Entrance to Ocean Lakes, connects with the Frontage Road headed toward Surfside Beach. The southbound access trail, which opened this week, connects our front entrance to the Frontage Road headed toward Surfside Beach to give guests a safer route when the South Gate and RV Center gate are closed.  No more having to maneuver through the grass near U.S. 17 Business to enter or exit the campground at the Main Entrance when the other gates ar...

Don’t be alarmed if you see bubbles coming to the surface of Sandlapper Lake. The bubbles, which you have to look closely to see in the massive lake, represent the first step in a long-term process that Ocean Lakes is taking to help improve the fishing opportunities in the campground. But how will bubbles help fishing? The bubbles are coming from an air system that has been installed at the bottom of the lake to increase oxygen levels in the water, which should help create a better environment for fish to live and reproduce – and end up on your hook. “Any increase in dissolved oxygen will help the fish survive better,” said Jeff Wilson, Ocean Lakes Horticulturist/Grounds Manager. First of several steps The air system is the first of several steps Ocean Lakes will be taking over the next year to improve the fishing offerings in our lakes. Look closely at Magnolia Lake and you can see a stream of bubbles coming from a recently installed air-based line...

The slowest time at the campground is the busiest time for our maintenance team. From small painting tasks to major overhaul projects, crews are working double-time during the slower winter months to ensure Ocean Lakes will be in tip-top shape by the time the big crowds return this spring. Some projects – including replacing the wood on our iconic Observation Deck and installing concrete pads on a handful of campsites – already are underway. In January, contractors and teammates will start several more projects, including renovating the restrooms at the Meet n’ Eat. Ocean Lakes is so busy from spring through fall that our team schedules most non-urgent maintenance projects during the slower winter months. “It’s our only down time to make these repairs happen before Easter weekend,” Ocean Lakes Operations Manager Kevin McWhirter said. Here’s a rundown of some of the improvements you’ll notice by spring:   Observation Deck | Our iconic Observation D...

The holidays have arrived at Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach! We're kicking off a festive week with lots of activities to help you work up that appetite for Thanksgiving and work off some calories after the big feast. Our Recreation team has expanded the usual Thanksgiving week activity lineup to ensure that our guests - we have a packed house for the holiday - will have plenty of fun things to do. Our most popular games such as bingo will treat the winners to yummy food items to help round out their Thanksgiving meal, and Santa arrives Saturday with a special breakfast for the little ones. "We have a jam-packed lineup of fun for everyone in the family," said Salle Horner, Sandy Harbor Recreation supervisor. "The holidays are a special time and we want to give our guests plenty of chances to make wonderful holiday memories that last a lifetime." Activities kicked off Monday and will continue through the week , including a special edition of Family Minu...

Holy goblins, Bat Sandy! Starfish Heroes are swooping into Ocean Lakes Family Campground to take this year’s Halloweekends to new superhero heights! A Howling Good Time Festival with games and fun stations has joined the usual Halloweekend lineup of trick or treating, costume contests, pumpkin carving competitions and the ever-popular Creepy Site Crawl. The two-hour festival will kick off each Saturday of Halloweekends, transforming our Recreation Center into a Halloween hub with face painting, photo booth, pumpkin ring toss, tattoo station (don’t be scared – they’ll wash off!) and games of chance – guess how many candy corn candies are in the jar and win a prize! The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. during Halloweekend Saturdays (Oct. 14, Oct. 21 and Oct. 28). “If you’re a Halloweekend veteran and didn’t think it could get any more fun – wait ‘til this year,” said Salle Horner, Sandy Harbor Recreation supervisor who organizes the Halloweekend activities. ...